Audrey Spencer has been promoted to associate head coach, announced by Ball State 11th-year head coach Brady Sallee. Spencer has served seven seasons as an assistant coach and three years as the director of basketball operations under Sallee.
“Towards the end of our season, it became evident that Audrey had earned the right to be the associate head coach in our program,” Sallee said. “Through our 10 years together, Audrey has been critical to our success. Her loyalty to Ball State, our program and me is as strong as I have ever worked with. She is a tireless worker and really knows the game. Audrey loves our players, and it shows with how they respond to her and for her. Audrey is clearly on her way to becoming a head coach, and I feel like this is the next, obvious step in her career ascension.”
In her 10 seasons with Sallee, Spencer has helped the Cardinals to seven postseason Women’s National Invitation Tournaments, a WNIT Sweet 16 appearance, a Mid-American Conference West Division title (2014), nine MAC Tournament appearances and five 20-plus win seasons.
Over the course of Spencer’s seven seasons as an assistant coach with Ball State, which began in 2015-16, she has helped the Cardinals to 131 wins, including Power-5 victories over Vanderbilt, Purdue and Iowa.
In 2017-18, Spencer was one of the key components as she and the staff helped Ball State to a history-making season after the Cardinals went 11-0 in non-conference play, which marked the best start in program history and the second-longest winning streak in school annals.
Just this past season, Spencer helped Ball State reach the Mid-American Conference title game in Cleveland, along with a 20-13 overall record and a WNIT postseason tournament appearance against Marquette.
“I want to thank President Mearns, Athletics Director Beth Goetz and Coach Sallee for the opportunity to continue to grow as a coach with the Ball State women’s basketball program,” Spencer said. “This program and community have been home for me and my family for more than 15 years. Ball State women’s basketball is special, and I am honored for this next step to continue working and learning from my mentor and friend Coach Sallee. The amazing young ladies we get to coach every day is the reason we do what we do and the group we have is exceptional. I could not imagine another place I would rather be than my alma mater to make the climb in my career.”
Prior to being an assistant coach and director of basketball operations at Ball State, Spencer was a standout guard for the Ball State women’s basketball team from 2006-10. Spencer helped the Cardinals to the most successful season in school history in 2008-09 when the Cardinals won the MAC Championship, the MAC Tournament title and earned the school’s first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament.
In 2008-09, Ball State tallied a 26-9 overall record, won the MAC with a 14-2 mark and defeated Tennessee 71-55 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. McDonald ended her career eighth on the school’s all-time scoring list (1,353) and first in games played (127), games started (126), minutes played (4,180), three-pointers made (323), three-point field goal attempts (799) and three-pointers made in a game with nine. Her three-point total of 323 also stands as the MAC record. McDonald earned MAC Honorable Mention and was named Academic All-MAC.
After her playing career, Spencer began her professional career at Ball State following graduation in 2010 as the director of basketball operations for former head coach Kelly Packard.
Just last fall, Spencer, along with her teammates and coaching staff from the 2008-09 Ball State women’s basketball team, were inducted in the school’s Hall of Fame.
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